Innovative Health Promotion Program on Breast Cancer Screening for Ethnic Minority Women in Hong Kong

Paper PresentationPurpose for the ProgramHong Kong is a multiethnic society. About 72.6% of the ethnic minority population is South Asian. Lack of health insurance coverage, cultural values and beliefs, language barriers, and logistic and financial constraints are major barriers that deter the ethnic minority population from participating in cancer screening. Ethnic minority women are less educated, and most of them are housewives and submissive to their husbands. Traditional customs and cultural beliefs are major barriers for breast cancer screening. For example, touching oneself during breast self‐examination is seen as taboo by some, and some feel embarrassed about the discussion or examination of intimate body parts with male physicians.Proposed ChangeTo raise awareness and knowledge about preventive measures for breast cancer that are currently available for this ethnic minority group of women (e.g., Indian, Nepalese, and Pakistani), we conducted a service project tailored for them.Implementation, Outcomes, and EvaluationWe engaged nursing students and South Asian women ambassadors (who represented the ethnic minority population) as volunteer workers. The 2‐hour event consisted of three parts: health talk, practical demonstration, and multilanguage leaflets. The project also provided an experiential learning opportunity for nursing students. Several preparatory training workshops were organized to equip voluntary nursing students, the South Asian women ambassadors, a...
Source: Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing - Category: Nursing Authors: Tags: Women's Health Source Type: research